Autumn 2018 Conference Agenda
Event details
Location: The Library of Birmingham, Centenary Square, Broad Street, Birmingham B1 2EA
Date: Tuesday 30th October 2018
Time: 09.30am - 4.00pm (registration opens at 9.30am)
Lunch and refreshments are included in the delegate package.
IS LOGISTICS THE NEW RETAIL?
As store retailers look for new ways to re-engage with shoppers, many are focusing on providing an experience rather than a service. However, any changes in the retail model will drastically alter the supply chain. Supply chain operations must adjust to accommodate this rapidly evolving retail landscape.
Ben Farrell MBE
Head of Central Operations and Transport
John Lewis & Partners
In this keynote address, Ben Farrell will layout the response of John Lewis and Partners, and some other retailers, to the extraordinarily disrupted UK retail landscape.
He will discuss how customer-centric retail requires a response way beyond what has in recent years been described as an 'omni-channel' model and how high street retail can drive and meet the requirements of change further and faster.
The ever growing criticality of supply chains is defining the success of retail businesses, and delegates will learn how this challenge presents a real opportunity and responsibility for supply chain leaders to think beyond the traditional boundaries of their roles.
Bobby Amirahmadi
Head of Logistics
Gousto
Since the advent of online shopping and e-commerce platforms, the way in which we buy food has changed dramatically, however our emotional connection with food remains as entrenched as ever.
In this session, Bobby Amirahmadi, Head of Logistics at Gousto, will look deeply into the entanglement of the logistics and food industries, and how they are benefiting consumers on every level. Combining this with the ever increasing demands for flexibility and quality, we will investigate how leveraging and improving existing logistics networks has the potential to completely change the future of how we buy our food.
Moderator:
Natasha Tyrrell
Business Development - Retail & Digital Strategy
BearingPoint
As online shopping continues to change the face of retail, the emphasis has been on retailers to create delivery services that meet the convenience requirements of today’s tech-savvy consumer.
This panel will be debating whether logistics is the new retail ― deliberating whether the efficiency of the delivery of a product is now the real reason why consumers shop.
Oppositional arguments will be forward by Neil Ashworth of CollectPlus and Yodel, and Bobby Amirahmadi from Gousto, both who believe logistics is not in fact the new retail. Bobby thinks consumers make their purchases based on more factors than just convenience, while Neil will argue that despite this changing landscape, brick and mortar stores will always play an important role.
Natasha Tyrrell, Business Development - Retail & Digital Strategy, BearingPoint, will moderate the debate and open the discussion with BearingPoint’s own research findings within the retail logistics space.
The debate will feature the following panel of speakers:
Kevin Mofid
Director
Savills Research
The Golden Triangle was built around traditional supermarket replenishment models. However, as retail has evolved, supply chains have needed to adjust in order to deliver products directly to the consumer.
This has had dramatic implications on the warehouse property market in the UK as retailers have taken warehouse across the country to meet the demands of the consumer.
In the South East, pressures to deliver significant amounts of housing have resulting in declining warehouse availability and rents increasing significantly.
In other areas of the country, the availability of energy and labour is starting to have a big impact and alter the locational decisions many warehouse operators are making.
Kevin will examine the current state of the warehouse property market and provide insight into some innovative property solutions which may in time become the norm.
In this session Kerrie Salisbury will discuss the impact of ao.com’s rapid growth on their logistics operation, and how it has been a catalyst for change in attracting new talent and future-proofing the key skills in their industry.
As the landscape for retail and logistics evolves it has become more uncertain. The race to attract the best talent is more competitive than ever before, with businesses using more than just a competitive salary to entice the next generation of skilled employees. AO logistics will discuss their methods, and how they are leveraging their employer brand to appeal to the current job market.
Kerrie will also discuss how AO Logistics has built strong relationships with the local community, improving employability skills and aspirations in their local area. AO prides itself on nurturing talent and promoting equality and diversity, both internally and externally, which has increased their employer brand awareness and helped to ensure their future success.
AO’s varied employee attraction and retention strategy is a product of the unique AO culture, which results in an unparalleled customer service proposition. With a 5 star customer rating on Trustpilot, it’s not hard to see how a happy workforce and tangible culture translates into customer brand loyalty
Within the food and drink industry, tens of thousands of tonnes of food goes to waste every year and food waste distribution charity FareShare is on a mission to make sure good surplus food goes to the people who need it most.
In 2016, they partnered with UK supply chain expert Fowler Welch to make it even easier for food producers to get involved in the project and donate their surplus food to charities around the country. Since then, 32 new businesses have provided over 1.9 million meals for vulnerable people.
Mark and Nick will offer insight into the challenges of such an operation and how it fits into the context of the wider food and drink market, as well as the opportunities it presents for other logistics operations.
